Weekend Box Office : ‘Vampire’ Perches Atop Box Office

“Interview With the Vampire” turned in the fifth-largest three-day weekend opening in motion picture history. Industry analysts chalk up the movie’s success to a massive publicity campaign, familiarity with Anne Rice’s best-selling novel and the author’s highly publicized criticism and eventual embrace of the casting of Tom Cruise as the Vampire Lestat.

“Vampire” was a big factor in the precipitous 67% drop suffered by Kenneth Branagh’s “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” in its second weekend. Still, “The Santa Clause” edged out “Vampire” in a number of small towns. .

Weekend Gross/ Screens/ Weeks in Movie (Studio) Total (millions) Average Release 1. “Interview With the Vampire” $36.4 2,604 1 (Warner Bros.) $36.4 $13,975 2. “The Santa Clause” $19.3 2,183 1 (Walt Disney) $19.3 $8,851 3. “Stargate” $8.1 2,033 3 (MGM) $46.5 $3,988 4. “Pulp Fiction” $4.1 1,404 5 (Miramax) $44.2 $2,923 5. “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” $3.7 2,177 2 (TriStar) $17.9 $1,709 6. “The War” $3.6 1,513 2 (Universal) $10.1 $2,350 7. “The Specialist” $2.1 1,809 6 (Warner Bros.) $51.3 $1,179 8. “Forrest Gump” $1.5 1,167 19 (Paramount) $291.1 $1,320 9. “The River Wild” $1.4 1,209 7 (Universal) $41.7 $1,140 10. “Love Affair” $1.3 1,164 4 (Warner Bros.) $16.4 $1,145

SOURCE: Exhibitor Relations Co.